coddington



2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

(No Model.)

J. R. OODDINGTON. CABINET FOR HOLDING ACCOUNT SLIPS. No. 385,341.

Patented July 3, 188B.

I (No Model.) 2' Sheets-Sheet 2" r J. R. OODDINGTON.

CABINET FOR HOLDING ACCOUNT SLIPS.

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N4 PETERS, Phob-Lilhographur. Washi nnnnn 4 Q tieal cross section of one of the frames.

NITED STATES PATENT union.

\ JAMES R. GODDINGTON, OF GENESEO, NElV YORK.

CABINET FOR HOLDING ACCOUNT-SLIPS.

SIPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,3e1, dated July 3, 1888.

Application filed September 12, 1887. Serial No. 240,420. (No model To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES R. CODDINGTON, of Geneseo, in the county of Livingston and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Cabinets for Holding Account-Slips; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and we act description of the same, reference being had to the drawings accompanying this application.

Myimprovement relates to a new method of keeping accounts without blotter, day'book, journal, ledger, or other books, consisting in the use of folded slips or strips of paper on which the entries are made at the time the orders are received, and which are added to when subsequent orders are taken by the pasting on of additional strips, the whole account being kept this way till a balance is made when the folded strip is filed away.

The invention consists in the construction and arrangement hereinafter more fully described and definitely claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the cabinet with two of the drawers partially opened. Fig. 2 is an enlarged ver- Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of one of the frames. Fig. 4 is a plan view of one corner of the same. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the folded strips on which the account is kept.

A, Fig. 5, indicates the paper slip onwhich the account is kept. It is folded in zigzag form, as shown in the drawings, and the name of the party against whom the charge is made is indorsed on top, so that when the slip is placed in the cabinet the name can be readily seen. The account itself is placed on the face or front side of the slip, so that when the slip is opened it will be exposed. The design is to take the order as it is given directly on the slip, and to use no blotter or entry-pad such as is ordinarily used. \Vhen a second order is given by the same party, it is taken on another slip, which is then pasted to the preceding slip. Thus the slips themselves indicate the different orders in succession, and each section of the file or strip indicates the several items of one order. W hen a balance of the account is made, this slip is filed away, and it is the record of the whole account, as

there is no entry on a day-book, ledger, or other book, and therefore no transcribing, saving by this means a good deal of labor in making out the account and looking it up. On the back of the slip is noted the standing of the party giving the order or any other memoranda desirable in the case.- The slip, instead of being folded, may be rolled, if desired.

In order to systemize and keep these slips in place while the account is being kept, I employ the following arrangement:

B is a cabinet or case of any desired form.

C O are the frames in which the folded strips are placed. These frames are shaliow and in the shape of drawers that slide in and out of the case.

a a are partitions placed crosswise of the frames and forming cells to receive the folded strips of paper, said partitions resting loosely in gains formed in the frame, so that they can be inserted and removed at pleasure. The frames have longitudinal central bars, I) b, by which means a double tier of cells is made.

0 c are wires extending lengthwise over each frame, covering the ends of each tier of cells and serving to hold the folded strips of paper down when inserted. The wires fit removably in place and are covered at one end by but tons or equivalent devices, (I d, which hold them down.

ff are pivoted spring-holders attached to the top of the frame and swinging over the folded strips and serving as clamps to hold them down in the cells at the ends.

9 g arebottom strips attached to the under side of each frame, but leaving a space or passage, 71, between them, to insert the finger to press the folded strips up from the cells when it is desired to remove them.

7c 7c are indextags attached to the front of the frames and projecting outward, so as to be exposed when the frames are pushed in to their fullest extent in the case. The letters of the alphabet indicating surnames are printed on these tags in consecutive order.

To insert the strips in the cells, the end of the strip is placed under the wire a and upon the bottom strip, 9, and slid into place. The

spring-clamp f is then turned over the other end, which holds the paper in place. name, being on top, can be readily seen.

The T0 remove the folded strip, the clamp is turned off and the finger is pressed up through the opening h, There are as many cells under each index-letter as there are different persons 5 having accounts whose surname commences with the index-letter, and in some cases one frame will answer for two or more index-letters. This will depend on the number of pen sons running accounts whose surnames commence with a given letter. When an account is closed and abalance struck, the folded strip. is removed from place and placed in a drawer, D, in the lower part of the case, or otherwise disposed of, as desired.

The advantages of this system are that it dispenses entirely with books and no transcribing is required, the orders as given be ing taken down directly on the paper slips. It also facilitates the finding of items and saves time in adjusting accounts, as current accounts only have to be looked over. The cab inet above described enables this system to be carried out to perfection.

Having described my invention, I do not claim a cabinet with drawers having sliding partitions or followers for holding checks,. vouchers, 850., as shown in Letters Patent Nos. 193,296 and 300,7 24.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cabinet for holding account-slips, the combination, with the drawers C0, of the strips 9 g, with the opening h between the partitions a a, forming cells, the wire 0,- extending longitudinally over the top of the drawer on one side, and the pivoted clamps ff, for holding the papers down, as herein shown and described.

2. In a cabinet for holding account-slips, the combination, with the drawers 0 C, of the strips g g, the partitions a a, the wire c, the clamps f f, and the tags 7; 70, as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

3. In a cabinet for holding account-slips, the combination of open frames, forming drawers containing separate cells to hold the folded papers, and index -tags projecting outward from the drawers with letters thereon indicatiug surnames, as and for thepnrpose specified.

in witness whereof I have hereunto signed my. name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES R. OODDINGTON.

Witnesses:

WM. BRODIE, WM. A. BRODIE. 

